The Minister of Education, Sports and Youth, Mr Prodromos Prodromou, presented today, 25 November 2022, to the Parliamentary Committees of Finance and Budget, and Education and Culture, the Budget of the Ministry of Education for 2023.
In his statements before the start of the session, the Minister of Education said: "Based on the economic policy that allows us to have impressive growth in our country, having overcome the very difficult period of the pandemic, budgetary margins are created that allow the Budget of the Ministry of Education, Sports and Youth (MESY) for the year 2023 to be presented increased.
1.3 billion in expenditure is budgeted for our Ministry, with an increase of 4.1% compared to 2022 and an increase of about 10% compared to 2021. That is, the Budget of the Ministry of Education is more than 5% of the Gross Domestic Product.
Because we are at the end of this administration, if we compare the 2023 Budget with the first year of the administration cycle, that is, with 2018, we have an increase of 26%. The Budget of the Ministry of National Economy will even be supported by the Plan "Cyprus_Tomorrow", our National Recovery and Resilience Plan with investments and financing of reforms, amounting to €97 million.
Of course, apart from the numbers, I should note that with this Budget we are supporting the work of educational reform which is in the President's Governance Programme. Reform that continues to evolve, including with the new merit-based teacher selection process. Since 2018, 3,000 teachers have been appointed to schools through a competitive process, while we continue with appointments from the appointment list. In this way, the quality of the teaching staff is being improved, and based on the available data, there is also a significant age renewal
At the same time, the other major reform on the assessment of secondary school students continues. After being implemented in the high school cycle, this year it is being extended to high schools. We are already using the reliable results available to us to improve each of the students and schools, and as the Ministry of Education we are planning some improvements to the curricula.
Of course, the biggest reform included in the Governance Programme is the creation, for the first time in our country, of a Deputy Ministry of Culture. A special state structure for culture, which from now on opens a new era for cultural policy.
At the same time, other major reforms have emerged from newer needs, the first being digital transformation. Digital transition is already characterising our schools and I think it is very important that digital technology is already in schools. While there are also actions in the 2023 Budget to create 6,600 classrooms - that is, all classrooms to become digital - as well as sponsorship through the Recovery and Resilience Plan for primary and secondary school children to acquire an individual electronic device. Of course, the very large project on e-governance of the school has also started, and within the next few years a new school, upgraded, in the digital age, will be the daily reality.
At the same time, equally important is the major reform for the green transition. A very important project in the context of the Renewable Energy Economy is the installation of special insulation and photovoltaic systems in 405 school buildings. Just as important is the PEDIA Project for the creation, in a pilot phase, of 25 schools with almost zero energy consumption, as well as the continuous development of the network of Environmental Education Centres.
All the reform actions of the Ministry will be analysed and presented, among which, of course, the completion of the Teacher Evaluation Plan and the Educational Project will stand out. Specifically, there are two evaluation plans, one for primary and one for secondary education, which are currently undergoing legislative drafting, and will then be submitted to Parliament.
There are many reforms that we can support and are already implementing with this Budget. A large part of these reforms I am sure will continue in the coming years, because they are reforms that lead to the cultivation of 21st century skills, as defined by the European Strategy 2030, as well as to making use of modern technological capabilities, adopting pedagogical methods that enhance participation and project-based learning. In addition, there is also the reform in pilot phase, which has been launched to create a full-day high school structure in secondary education and, more generally, to have a school that responds to today's and tomorrow's needs, technological possibilities and trends in our society. That is, without losing its orientation, to give children the basic knowledge and values: our language, science and foreign languages. I should note here that in recent years the European policy for two foreign languages has been implemented in secondary education with the generalisation of the teaching of French and the free certification of the knowledge of foreign languages, English and French, for school children.
Together with the reinforced budget for 2023, the Plan "Cyprus_Tomorrow" allows us, together with the Cyprus of tomorrow, to design the school of tomorrow".
IP
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